The Diocese of Savannah — with three other Catholic organizations in Georgia — has filed suit in federal court seeking to block the Health and Human Services mandate that would force religious employers to provide medical services in violation of their religious beliefs.

The Archdiocese of Atlanta, Christ the King Catholic School in Atlanta and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Atlanta joined in the lawsuit. Named as defendants are the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

The lawsuit was filed Oct. 5 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division.

With this action, the Catholic church in Georgia joins more than 50 other dioceses, schools, hospitals, social service agencies and other institutions that have filed suit in federal court to stop these three government agencies from implementing a mandate that would require them to cover and provide for free contraceptives and sterilization in their health plans.

“Our challenge to the federal mandate is not about whether people in this country should have access to the services covered by the mandate, but rather, it is about the fundamental issue of whether the government may force religious institutions and individuals to fund services which violate our religious and moral beliefs,” said Bishop Gregory John Hartmayer.

In the lawsuit, the diocese says people have a right to the medical services in question and nothing stops the government from making them more widely available, but the lawsuit argues the the government doesn’t have the right to force religious entities such as the plaintiffs to provide or facilitate access to them.

While the government has recognized a religious exemption to these mandates, it is so narrowly worded that many religious institutions do not qualify for it, the lawsuit contends.

“We bring our heritage of faith and dedication to the poor and needy who have been served by the agencies of the Catholic Church in Georgia with generosity and commitment since 1850,” Hartmayer said. “We become one more voice that must be heard by the courts as they consider the legality of this action.”

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The churches do not want to pay for these services. They have no way to prevent anyone(church member or church employee) from obtaining them. Now the ObamaCare 15 member panel can refuse coverage for procedures, but can absolutely prevent a physician from offering or providing that service.
Perhaps you would be better served if you actually understood who, exactly, was taking away your freedom to seek healthcare you want?

The church is not between you and your doctor's relationship. The government already has that honor. They will get to decide who gets what treatment and who pays for preventative care with out a care in the world about what our religious leaders teach us. Christians have been persecuted for 2000 years. They are still here and they will withstand this persecution too.

Maybe that is the problem. A lot of times what religious leaders teach do not align with scripture. I still have not found any scriptural reference in which the Bible disapprove of birth control. I also agree with Jayce I think the Catholic church has lost all credibility when it comes to moral issues.

What those priest did to children who were their parishioners is totally unforgiveable. In the end they will have to answer to God for their evil actions toward these innocent children. But I will not condemn my Catholic faith for the evil actions of a few anymore than I will condemn college football for the actions of coaches like Jerry Sandusky and Joe Paterno.

There is no place in the bible (that I know of) that says it is a sin to use artificial birth control but the church teaches that we only use natural methods to prevent pregnancy. I also don't think it says anywhere in the bible not to drink and dance but many churches believe that is a sin (especially drinking.) What IS in scripture is Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding. I bet they had a good time at that wedding and I bet they danced all night. (I'm being facetious)

My point exactly churches need to stop teaching things that are not in the Bible. There is no reference to using birth control as being a sin as well as drinking or dancing. Churches that teaches these sorts of things are incorrect.

What you said in your post and I said in mine have been talked about, debated, discussed, dissected, discussed and debated over and over for hundreds and hundreds of years. In the end we just come away with what our beliefs are and of course even believers question things that don't seem to make sense. I certainly can't sit here and say that every church going Catholic who follows the teachings of the church except for the part about not using birth control is committing a sin. We all have to follow our own conscious, make our own peace with God and do what is right for us including having or not having children.

Your post would make sense if future small or large business owners know the rules before going in. But when you already own a business and the Catholic Church has churches and schools, hospitals and other organizations all over the world now have a problem because the church will not participate in something that is against it's teachings. The Catholic Church in most areas in the country offer fairly good health insurance. When the government comes in and demands any large or small business (not just the church)that they have to pay for certain things such as gov't regulated health insurance, BC pills or even abortion, that have not been part of their budget, either they are going to downsize so they don't have the required number of employees to be forced to purchase something they don't think they can afford. Or they will purchase health care for all employees and raise their prices substantially or they will go belly up.

Christian Scientists don't believe in medical treatments and I think 7th Day Adventists may not either. I'm not 100% sure about 7th Day Adventists but I remember a newspaper story years ago about a child whose parents were Adventists (I think) needed blood transfusions to stay alive and his parents would not consent so the hospital took them to court.

What gives the Catholic Church the right to impose their teaching on non-Catholic employees? If they do not want to issue birth control as part of their health coverage then they should only hire Catholic employees.

It is not necessarily illegal. Religious institutions do have the right in certain instances to only hire people that hold their same beliefs. I am just wondering if a legal argument could be made that since the Catholic Church disapproves of birth control does this give them the right to only hire Catholic employees.

I worked for the diocese of Savannah for 20 years and we had more non Catholics than Catholics at the Catholic agency I worked for. This issue has been debated on this forum before so I'll just say that if someone wants contraception all they have to do is spend about $10.00 a month and buy their own. This contraception issue just shouldn't be an issue but when we have a president that totally revamps and takes over health care we have to expect these complications

Why should a non-Catholic employee have to pay for it when legislation has been passed that provides it for free? So basically a non-Catholic employee is being penalized for working for a Catholic organization.

When will people learn there is no such thing as legislation to provide something for 'free.' Someone always has to pay. That's one of the problems with our country now. There are too many people looking for "free" stuff and not enough people working to give it to them.

What I said was that non Catholics worked at our agency as well Catholics. I didn't say that non Catholics had to pay for their bc pills and Catholics got theirs free. I said that everybody who wants bc pills should pay for their own. (if you worked for a Catholic agency) They are not expensive. I believe Obama is very arrogant to believe he has the right to order churches to do or pay for something they object to on religious grounds. But I guess we have to wait for the courts to decide. What is a shame is that any church feels like it has to sue the federal gov't.

I think its a shame the non-Catholic women who work at a Catholic organization are forced to pay for their birth control just because some priest made up a rule that birth control is wrong. It is a shame that the Catholic Church does not realize that some women do not take birth control to prevent pregnancy but birth control pills also help women deal with painful periods.

Nobody has to work for a religious organization. But if they choose to do so they know what the church stands for and what their teachings are. And Geechee said it correctly too. NOTHING is free. BC pills are not free. The costs will be incorporated in your insurance premiums. There are health care needs that men need and women don't (prostate health) and women's health care that men don't (pregnancy, breast health) but we all pay . The one thing that is probably the ONLY inexpensive health need is birth control pills. People can buy their own.

That's the problem. Catholic Doctrine is not based on scripture. If the Catholic Church disapproval of birth control was based on scripture then I would not have an argument but there is no scripture to support that using birth control is wrong.

A non Catholic employee CAN have the opportunity to fully take advantage of any health care service that is offered and that their premium covers. Although I worked for the diocese for 20 years I did not purchase their healthcare coverage because we had good coverage at the time with my husbands job so I don't know what it provided as far as contraception. It's possible contraception was not part of the plan. But I don't know that so please don't quote me on it. I do know one thing. No Catholic Hospital will perform an abortion, or a tubaligation Before Candler/St. Joseph combined you wouldn't be able to get either of those services at St. Joseph's. But now that the hospitals have mergered, everything that has to do with reproductive health is done at Candler so St/ Joe's doesn't have to get it's hands dirty that way.